Friday, November 1, 2013

S.E.X. Review~ Hollywood Bound by Morticia Knight

Jack and Nick seek fortune and adventure in the silent film era of Hollywood. But their newly-expressed love is threatened by the heady allure of fame, gin and easy money.

Sweet and innocent nineteen year-old Jack has loved the older and more street wise Nick from almost the first time he met him. Nick has taken care of him ever since Jack arrived in New York after he was beaten and thrown out of the boy’s orphanage for messing around with one of the guys there. They share a passion for silent films and have dreams of heading west to make their fortunes building sets for the studios. If only Nick felt the same passion for Jack, and wasn’t already engaged to a gal back in Philly.Nick’s temper sometimes gets the best of him, but that’s only because he worries about Jack – Nick is all the poor kid has. But he’s also terrified about the way he’s been feeling towards Jack lately. They’re the kinds of feelings he should be having for his fiancé—Penelope—and never for a man. His only goal is to get them both to Hollywood, where he’s sure they’ll be rolling in the dough in no time, and where everything will all work out the way it should.

Hollywood isn’t exactly what they’d thought it would be. There are plenty of gin joints, jazz, money, parties and sex—but everything comes with a hefty price. Everyone they meet—from Trixie Fox, the ditzy up and coming starlet, to Bernie, the foreman who gets them their first studio job—seems to have a hidden agenda. Can the newfound love between Jack and Nick survive the tawdry mess that makes up the glitz and glamour of the celluloid kingdom, or will their own secrets tear them apart forever?

Reader Advisory: Please note, this is the first book of a three book serial and is part of a continuing story line best read in sequence.

Hollywood Bound was a beautifully
written time period piece of an era infrequently discussed and a subject rarely
broached. Turmoil and intrigue were an integral
part of the silent -film era story as Nick and Jack crossed the country from
New York to the bright lights of Hollywood in search of a better life, a new
start, and a chance for love.

Nick and Jack soon
discovered that Hollywood was not all that they thought it would be. Nefarious
characters waited at every turn to steal innocence and pride, luring Nick and
Jack into a world they were little prepared for.

The emotional depth
of the story was spell-binding and heart wrenching as Ms. Knight
gave substance to Nick and Jack while they traversed unchartered waters. Jack’s
innocence was endearing and the depth of his soul held no limits. By the end of
the story Jack matured into a more worldly young man while still maintaining
his boyish demeanor. He was transparent in his feelings, especially in his love
for Nick; a hero worship status.

Ms. Knight’s portrayal of Nick was a
stoic young man, steadfast in his resolve but with an underlying sense of insecurity.
An age where discovering that homosexual unions were dirty little secrets that were
not talked about in public, but performed in private. Nick must come to terms
with the fact that his love for Jack was a love of allure and lust, with the
chance at true happiness if they do not get caught up in the glitz of
Hollywood.

Nick and Jack soon
learned the harsh reality of the world they had chosen to live in. Secondary
character Trixie was a shining star and a central part of Nick and Jack’s new
found living. Although I can surmise that she had her own motives for her
actions (no spoilers).

Morticia Knight left me emotionally
drained as I felt the depth of despair of the characters and their yearning to
protect each other from Tinseltown. I shed a tear or two as their heart ache
became mine. Kudos Ms. Knight for
creating a world that I became emotionally invested in and fueling my desire to
need more.